Category Archives: First time Buyers

What does affordability mean and what’s affordable in Ottawa?

I was asked by a Twitter pal to discuss what’s affordable for someone making an income of $60-70K a year. Okay, so affordability in this context is going to mean what a buyer can qualify to buy, i.e. what the … Continue reading

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The Federal Government’s New Loan Plan for First Time Buyers: Good Idea or Not?

The federal government announced a new plan to to help first-time buyers on Monday:  here are some details and also some questions that are yet to be answered. To qualify for the program, the first-time buyer must have an annual … Continue reading

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Lovely testimonial from a happy first time buyer!

I love working with first time buyers: they are always so excited by looking at homes, and they ask great questions. I always tell them it’s a bit like speed-dating but when they find the right home, they’ll know it … Continue reading

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The new CMHC rules for guarantors are totally nuts.

In May of this year, I had clients looking to buy a property for their adult children. They wanted to buy a house where the children would have title registered in their names but the parents would guarantee the mortgage. That way, … Continue reading

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What First Time Condo Buyers want to know ….

I had a chat with my daughter, Jade, today about the kinds of things a first-time buyer wants to know about condos. And all of her questions, not surprisingly, related to costs. What are condo fees exactly? she asked. Why … Continue reading

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Great Bargains in Ottawa!

Very nice to be quoted in this Ottawa Citizen story by Patrick Langston (see below) about lower-priced homes in Ottawa. Just remember: you are going to trade larger yards and high end finishes for a house under $ 300,000 in … Continue reading

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Statistics!

According to Benjamin Disraeli, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. But according to a new Harris-Decima Poll, 68% of Canadians already own a home; an astonishing 33 per cent is considering buying one in the next three … Continue reading

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Ottawa Citizen Article on First Time Buyers

Nice story in the Ottawa Citizen (August 10, online) about first time buyers and their often unreasonably high expectations. And very nice of Patrick Langston to quote me! http://www.canada.com/homes/High+expectations/7071191/story.html

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First Time Buyers – More tips!

My last post dealt with getting your ducks in a row with financing and the search itself. Once you start looking at houses, here are some things to be alert to: 1.     Layout. Make sure you like the flow. It’s not … Continue reading

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First Time Buyers – Getting Your House (Search) in Order

If you’re a first time buyer, there are some things you really need to do to be well-prepared for your search. 1.     First of all, get yourself a good realtor. This should be someone you trust; someone who will take the … Continue reading

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